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Juliana Charpantidou to give online seminar on the revolutionary definition of Greek identity

The Greek Herald
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Juliana Charpantidou to give online seminar on the revolutionary definition of Greek identity

Juliana Charpantidou will give a lecture in Greek entitled ‘Who is Greek? – The revolutionary definition of Greek identity,’ on Thursday 2 September, at 7.00pm, as part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

Immediately after the proclamation of the request for the establishment of a state, one of the most important challenges that the Greek revolutionary leadership was called upon to solve was the search and selection of criteria for determining the identity of a Greek citizen.

The work of elaborating the institutional framework of Greek citizenship was characterised by conflicts and controversies due to the process of transition from the Greek cultural nation that emerged in the modern Greek Enlightenment to the coveted independent nation-state.

Among the urgent priorities of the revolutionary leadership were the separation of the members of the new state from its enemies and the emergence of the national character of the revolution in order to obtain the necessary consent and legitimacy of the Great Powers of Europe.

In the first critical stages in the evolution of Greek citizenship through the constitutional texts of the revolutionary national assemblies, we will examine the set criteria, historical conditions, political needs and aspirations that defined them as well as the legacy of dividing the Greek nation into three subsets: the Greeks within the Greek state, the “unredeemed” of the Ottoman Empire and the Greeks of the Diaspora.

Juliana is a graduate of the School of Management and Economics of ATEI Thessaloniki, and a graduate of the Department of Sociology of Panteion University where she holds Master’s Degree with a specialization in Social Exclusion and Minorities. Her Master’s thesis was on “Narratives of former members of the Communist Party of Greece” and concerned the reconstruction of political identities through the methodological approach of biographical narrative.

From 2014 to 2018 she worked at the Greek Community of Melbourne as a researcher of its history and archives where hopefully a published monograph of this research will appear in the near future. This was the reason for the continuation of her academic research on the subject of the Organization of the Greek Diaspora in Australia through the framework of the preparation of her Doctoral Thesis at Panteion University. In the past she has worked in management positions of European programs at the Pedagogical Institute of the Ministry of Education and Religion of Greece.

When: Thursday 2 September 2021, 7pm

Where: This is an online lecture and can be followed on Facebook and Youtube

Greece working with UNESCO to help protect Afghanistan’s cultural heritage

The Greek Herald
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Greece working with UNESCO to help protect Afghanistan’s cultural heritage

Greece is working with UNESCO and the European Union to help protect the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul amid concerns for the safety of its artifacts following the country’s takeover by the Taliban, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said on Monday, during a meeting with a former Afghan counterpart.

“No one, right now, can guarantee the safety either of the thousands of objects at the Kabul museum or of the treasures of Bactria that were brought to light by Greek archaeologist Victor Sarigiannidis,” Afghanistan’s ex-culture minister, Omar Sultan, said after meeting with Mendoni in Athens on Monday evening.

The National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul.

Greece donated some 750,000 euros towards the restoration of the museum in 2003 and contributed to the conservation and exhibition of its valuable artifacts, which include thousands of findings from Bactria, an ancient country stretching across parts of what are now Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Last week, UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, issued a statement calling for the protection from “damage and looting, of Afghanistan’s “rich and diverse” cultural heritage, stressing that it is “an integral part of Afghan history and identity, as well as of importance for humanity as a whole.” 

Source: Ekathimerini.

West Australian football club Floreat Athena marks 70th anniversary

John Voutos
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West Australian football club Floreat Athena marks 70th anniversary

The Floreat Athena club in West Australia will celebrate its 70th anniversary at the E&D Litis Stadium this weekend. 

Players, staff, and supporters will attend a dinner on Saturday night to commemorate the club’s volunteers, founders, members, and club legends. 

Athena was formed in 1951 and was a hub for the Greek migrant community to meet and socialize.

Murdoch University Melville coach and former player Taki Nicolaidis recalls growing up in this environment. 

“I was a mascot and my first real memory was walking out with the team with the full kit on,” he says. 

Taki Nicolaidis (Photo: via Inglewood United FC)

“I was seven years old when Athena won their first title in 1977. It’s not until later when you reflect back and realise you were there on that day, the whole family was celebrating, and how big an event it was for the club and the Greek community.

“I played all my juniors there from age five. Back then, generally, if you were Greek, the only team you would play for was Athena, which was the case for me.

“In those days, it was very cultural with the first generation of immigrants and the kids growing up would be pushed into football… If you were Greek, you’d be at Athena or Kingsway, if you were Macedonian, it would be Stirling.”

Athena would later become home to household names such as Stan Lazaridis and Vas Kalogeracos in state football.

Athena would later become home to household names such as Stan Lazaridis and Vas Kalogeracos in state football (Left: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) (Right: Perth Glory FC on Twitter)

Floreat remains one of the state’s powerhouse clubs, even though the league has evaded them since 2007. 

Recently, the club has won three State Cups in five seasons, including this year, several Night Series Finals, and are also the reigning Top Four Cup holders.

One of the highlights of Saturday’s 70th celebrations will be the unveiling of the ‘Athena Dream Team’ which will help to tie the past together with the present.

Ludovic Boi is the club’s current longest-serving player and has good words for Floreat. 

“The Greek community come down, the old boys are playing poker, the kids come down, people enjoy the food, and the club keep that culture going,” he says. 

“It’s a big weekend for the club to reach 70 years.”

“It’s a great club with a great history and I can only sit back with excitement to see where the club continues to go.”

Source: FFA Cup 

Melbourne’s Greek Community meets with Anthony Albanese to discuss borders and multiculturalism

Andriana Simos
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Melbourne’s Greek Community meets with Anthony Albanese to discuss borders and multiculturalism

Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, along with the President and Board members of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GCM) held a meeting on Friday morning organised by Peter Khalil MP.

During the meeting, the President of the GCM, Bill Papastergiadis, stressed to Mr Albanese the need for clear guidance from the government on Australia’s borders, vaccination passports, education and quarantining at home.

Mr Albanese agreed and said that although he supports the Federal Government’s National Recovery Plan, Australia does need to open borders at some stage and further support community languages and multicultural communities.

International borders:

On the topic of borders, Mr Albanese was asked about the Labor Government’s plans to help those members of the Greek community, who wish to return to Greece to live or visit ill family members but are not allowed to leave Australia.

“We need to recognise people as human beings and individuals with real needs and for many of them, it is so important that they are able to visit relatives,” the Labor Leader said.

“They’re going with the knowledge that there might be a problem with them coming back. They’re adults, they’re able to make those decisions. I think there needs to be more compassion shown there as well.”

Mr Albanese went on to say the Labor Government have made representations for people to try to visit their loved ones overseas, but it’s proven to be ‘very difficult.’

He also gave a personal example of how he understands people’s frustration with the border restrictions as he himself was unable to attend his father’s funeral in Italy in 2014.

“I don’t understand how in some cases you see some people who seem to be able to just come and go, and others who want to visit perhaps their mum or dad who’s not well and in some cases, let’s be honest, to say goodbye and that’s a basic human need that people have,” Mr Albanese said.

“Labor will continue to argue for an appropriate response. We understand that there are restrictions on borders… but individuals need to have personal circumstances taken into account.”

Greek Language and the Arts:

From here, the Labor Leader went on to discuss the Federal Government’s support for education, community languages and the Arts during the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed that these areas have fallen through the cracks.

“We need to support education and the Arts and it’s a real pity that they missed out on JobKeeper. A lot of the Arts, particularly in multicultural communities which can be professional but not as regular in terms of casual employment, they just missed out,” Mr Albanese said, giving an example of The Hellenic Art Theatre in Marrickville.

In saying this, Mr Albanese did commend the Greek community however, on how they have been able to maintain their Greek language and culture through generations, as well as during the pandemic.

“I think the Greek community, from my experience, is better than most, I’ll say that. With Greek language schools, with making sure that culture is there…” he said.

“One of Australia’s greatest assets is our multiculturalism… and the fact that we’re a multicultural nation with language skills needs to be seen as something which doesn’t just benefit the Greek community, in terms of the Greek language, that’s a plus for us in terms of our economy, being able to do business into the region and into the world.

“We know the world is becoming a smaller and smaller place and different language skills are so important for us.”

The meeting concluded with Mr Papastergiadis thanking Mr Albanese for this support of multiculturalism and the Greek language.

“It was a fantastic meeting. Mr Albanese gave 1.5 hours of his time today, he was in great spirits, he wanted to continue the conversation with the Greek Centre once we open up, he wanted to be at the Festival… and he’s looking forward to a meeting one-on-one,” Mr Papastergiadis told The Greek Herald after the meeting.

Christina Efthymiades gets creative to raise funds for the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre

Andriana Simos
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Christina Efthymiades gets creative to raise funds for the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre

If you ever come across Christina Efthymiades and her walking companion, Plato the Greek Dancing Cat, at a local park in the Sydney suburb of Concord, make sure you give them a smile and wave.

They’re friendly and just doing their absolute best to raise as much funds as possible for the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre at Concord Hospital.

Established in 2013, the Centre is the only free clinic in Australia which offers a multidisciplinary team of professionals to support an individual’s needs following a cancer diagnosis.

Cancer survivors are able to access four pillars of support at the Centre including:

(1) a Survivorship Clinic for people with early stage cancer who have completed chemotherapy and want to see five health professionals to create a ‘survivorship care plan.’

The Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre. Photo supplied.

(2) a Survivorship Cottage where free activities are run for cancer survivors and their families including, but not limited to, yoga, pilates, art therapy, mindfulness and card making.

(3) a Survivorship Gym run by exercise physiologists where cancer survivors can improve their fitness, strength, quality of life and also be treated for cancer symptoms such as cancer-related fatigure.

(4) and Survivorship Research where the Centre is looking to provide high-quality evidence of how best to help manage the types of issues of side effects that impact cancer survivors.

The Director of the Centre, Professor Janette Vardy, tells The Greek Herald these four pillars are necessary to ‘provide a much more holistic approach to people’s care.’

Director of the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre, Professor Janette Vardy. Photo supplied.

“Rather than just concentrating on ‘has a person’s cancer come back’ or the length of somebody’s survival after a cancer diagnosis, we’re looking not just at the quantity of the survival… but the quality of the survival,” Professor Vardy, who is also a medical oncologist at the Concord Cancer Centre, says.

“So we know that to improve the quality of survival, we need to look at a much more holistic approach. We’re really aiming to keep people as healthy as we can for as long as we can.”

Step Up for Cancer Survivorship:

To ensure such an essential and free service at a public hospital continues to operate, the Centre has launched the ‘Step Up for Cancer Survivorship’ campaign, which aims to get people exercising during the month of August to raise a fundraising target of $50,000.

Professor Vardy says people have really taken up the initiative even though they are ‘doing it really tough’ right now during the NSW lockdown, and stresses that all the donations are tax deductible and going towards a great cause.

“The money we’re raising is going towards being able to provide extra exercise programs for our cancer patients and they’re people at all stages of disease. Some have completed treatment and have no evidence of a cancer recurrence, others have quite advanced disease,” Professor Vardy says.

Plato the Greek Dancing Cat with Professor Vardy’s dog, Coco. Photo supplied.

For Ms Efthymiades, the decision to ‘Step Up For Cancer Survivorship’ was an easy one. The Concord local has always been an active supporter of cancer research, having co-founded The Bloody Great Committee in 2013 (now the Foundation for a Bloody Great Cause) and raising funds for the world-leading blood cancer clinical trials at Concord Hospital.

So when her business, Laconic PR + Communications, was called upon to assist with communications for the Centre’s ‘Step Up’ campaign, she jumped at the chance to get involved in a practical way as well.

“I took it as an opportunity to stay fit and healthy myself but then get behind the charity as well, which I think is a great cause,” Ms Efthymiades tells The Greek Herald exclusively.

The 51-year-old didn’t want to exercise by herself however, so she decided to get creative and asked her friend Plato the Greek Dancing Cat to walk with her as well.

Christina Efthymiades and Plato the Greek Dancing Cat out on their walk. Photo supplied.

Plato first came on the scene during the online classes offered by Ms Efthymiades’ dancing group, The Nassibian Dancers, this year and she says she couldn’t do the fundraising without him.

“I really just want to get the Greek community behind us. I would love to see Plato the Greek Dancing Cat take out the leader board,” Ms Efthymiades says.

“I recognise it’s a really challenging time for a lot of people at the moment. I also know that it’s a time of people being really, really generous to try to help others. So if they can direct some of this generosity to cancer survivors, why not!”

If you would like to donate to Ms Efthymiades’ fundraising page, you can find that here.

Monash researchers to identify and preserve Greek manuscripts

The Greek Herald
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Monash researchers to identify and preserve Greek manuscripts

Monash University has awarded $112,000 to assist a team of six in identifying and preserving premodern Greek manuscripts. 

The university has enlisted the help of four researchers, a project coordinator, and a database manager, with the hope to create a new searchable national digital archive. 

Professor Guy Geltner is a medieval scholar at Monash and is leading the search for manuscripts. 

He calls on Victorians to hand over their manuscripts, “family heirlooms” or “very private collections”, to help the team “learn about the wealth of cultural heritage” of Victoria’s migrants. 

Examples of manuscripts range from marriage licenses to anything with text.  

Professor Guy Geltner is leading the search for manuscripts across Victoria (Right: Getty Images) (Left: via Monash University)

His goal is to “reach out to diverse communities, organisations, and individuals who may be in possession of liturgical, literary, personal or other rare texts, and learn more about the stories of their legacy and heritage, how they got here from East Asia to Europe and the Americas, and, of course, how they can illuminate the past and present of such cultures”.

The team hopes to make contact with members and organisations of the Greek Orthodox community in Melbourne and regional Victoria. 

“We’ll offer them an opportunity for experts to look at what they have, not from a financial perspective, but from a scholarly perspective,” he says.

He hopes to identify transcripts pre-dating the 17th century and has designated 1600 as the cut-off year for eligible transcripts.

Source: Monash

Greek father and son Lazaros and Leontios Stefanidis make Paralympic history

John Voutos
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Greek father and son Lazaros and Leontios Stefanidis make Paralympic history

Lazaros and Leontios Stefanidis are currently representing Greece in the shot-put events at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. 

It marks their Paralympic debut and pins the pair, as the current competition’s only father and son duo, against each other.

“I am proud that I will compete with my father at the Paralympics and that we will go together to the Games. I feel blessed that we will be together,” Leontios, 22, is quoted in World Para Athletics. 

He says his father Lazaros inspired him to get into athletics.

“[He taught me to] never give up because the human strengths can reach unknown barriers and you can reach points that you never imagined,” he says. 

“So you always have to try and you will be awarded with good results.” 

His father Lazaros, 64, is the founder of the AS Lazaros Stefanidis O Makedonas athletics club in Thessaloniki. 

Lazaros has competed in three World Para Athletics Championships before qualifying for the Paralympics and says it isn’t the first time he’s been pinned against his son. 

“I finished fourth in the Europeans and my son finished fifth,” he says. 

“There is no better feeling to compete together with your child.”

“He has been with us [in competitions] since he was a baby.” 

“He has trained since he was 12 in all throw disciplines, but he chose shot put and I hope he will stay healthy and be a very successful Paralympic athlete.”

“I believe we will see extraordinary things at the Paralympics.”

“I have seen all his path developing as an athlete, so I feel very special.”

You can watch Leontios and Lazaros in the men’s shot-put F20 and F33 events on 31 Aug and 4 Sep, respectively. 

Source: Paralympic/World Para Athletics

Greek weightlifter Dimitrios Bakochristos wins bronze at Tokyo Paralympics

John Voutos
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Greek weightlifter Dimitrios Bakochristos wins bronze at Tokyo Paralympics

Greek powerlifter Dimitrios Bakochristos won bronze in the men’s 54kg final at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo on Thursday. 

Bakochristos’ medal is his second Paralympic medal and the third to be won for Greece so far in the Games. 

(Photo: Molly Darlington/Reuters)

He told the Athens-Macedonian news agency that he’s satisfied with his performance and is onto his next at the Paris Paralympics in three years’ time. 

“I am very satisfied. Despite the fact that we had some difficulties and that I faced some injuries, in the end, we were vindicated,” he told the Athens-Macedonian news agency. 

“This medal gives me great strength. I sincerely feel great emotion and pride,” he said.

Bakochristos won bronze in the same event five years prior at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics (Right: Φωτογραφία Αρχείου via Lifo.gr) (Left: Reuters / PILAR OLIVARES)

He snatched his first bronze medal in the same event at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics in 2016. 

He also twice won bronze at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in 2017 and 2019. 

The Paralympic Games kicked off on Tuesday with at least 46 athletes representing Greece across 11 sports. 

Source: Ekathimerini 

‘Greek passion is part of my football,’ says young Matilda Sofia Sakalis

Alex Anyfantis
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‘Greek passion is part of my football,’ says young Matilda Sofia Sakalis

Being born into a Greek family, it would be difficult not to have some form of contact with the world of football. Such was the case for the young Sofia Sakalis, whose father is from the West Macedonian city of Kozani, while her grandfather from her mother’s side hails from Halkidiki.

From early on, she began to play with her dad and her relationship with the round goddess only got stronger from there. “I would always wake up early with my dad to watch the soccer games,” Sakalis tells The Greek Herald.

She points out that the Greek mentality has always been a part of her personal style of play: “I’ve had that passion instilled in me from a very young age and during the games I always want to win. I think that does kind of trace back to my Greek roots. It’s something I’ve always had with me and I hope to continue like that on my footballing journey.”

Playing at South Melbourne, Sakalis fully comprehends the Greek mentality of football. Source: By The White Line

The aspiring midfielder was transferred to Perth Glory a few weeks ago and as she says, she’s making her final preparations before leaving Melbourne behind her. But what are her thoughts as she gets ready for her first season away from home?

“I haven’t moved there yet; I’m required to be there in October for our pre-season. Right now, I’m preparing and training hard to make sure I’m fit. This is a new opportunity for me, I think it’s a new chapter in my footballing journey that will enable me to become the player I want to be. I’m really looking forward to it!” she says excitedly.

The current trend in women’s football that has seen many Australian players joining high profile European clubs gives young players like Sakalis the chance to look even further ahead and aspire for greatness.

When asked about this, the talented player stressed the importance of the rapid evolution of the women’s game and shared her own personal goal for her career.

“It’s been amazing seeing all the Matildas slowly move overseas and more particular to Europe because that’s just the place you want to be to be right now. It’s improving a lot, so definitely one of my personal long-term goals is to play in Europe.

I think, if I had to choose, to play for a club like Manchester City or Arsenal in the English Premier League would be a dream come true. But, even anywhere in Europe like Spain, Italy, even Greece would be an amazing experience to start off with.”

Sofia is looking at the next chapter in her career at Perth Glory. Source: By The White Line

At the same time as her dreams in football, Sofia is also going after an entirely different goal: a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy. A field which, as she says, brings together her two great loves for football and medicine.

“From a very young age, my parents have always instilled in me the importance of maintaining a balance between sport and getting an education. So, even though I really want to go far in soccer, I’ve always known that I need to keep up my studies and I really want to do well so that, when I complete my football career, I have something to fall back on.

“Physiotherapy’s something that kind of intertwines my passions because it’s so relevant to football in the aspect of the physical health of the athletes and the human body so I’m really enjoying it so far.”

Sakalis, who says her dream is to one day play in the Olympics, points out how proud she is of her Greek heritage, while expressing her deep gratitude for all those who support her in her career: “I’ve been to Greece four times and I love how I’m able to communicate with the locals when I’m there! I want to thank the Greek community all over Australia for all their support and for following my football journey over the years. I’m truly grateful and their support never goes unnoticed and whenever I play, I also play for the Greek community and I hope to make them proud.”

Next season will see her play in the W-League with the colours of Perth Glory, yet at only 19 years of age, the journey of this aspiring Greek Aussie in the world of football is far from over! Definitely one worth keeping an eye on!

On This Day in 1968: Greek architect, Dimitris Pikionis, passed away

Alex Anyfantis
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On This Day in 1968: Greek architect, Dimitris Pikionis, passed away

Dimitris Pikionis was an artist born in Piraeus on January 26, 1887. He was the man responsible for reshaping the area surrounding the Acropolis and the Filopappou Hill, creating a more inviting area for both locals and tourists.

Pikionis was said to have been influenced by a number of different and multicultural art schools, from the traditional Byzantine that was found in the villages of Chios, all the way to the simplistic style of Japan. Those influences can be found within his many works.

Here are the five most important things you need to know about one Greece’s greatest architectural figures:

Dimitris Pikionis in a photograph taken by Professor Pavlos Mylonas around 1956. Photo: Dimitris Pikionis Archive – Benaki Museum Neohellenic Architecture Archives.

1. Two of his cousins held high positions within the Greek society. They were the poet Lambros Porfyras and the co-founder of one of the nation’s greatest publications To Vima, Georgios Syriotis.

2. Even though he was an architect, Pikionis’ true passion lied in painting. He had taken courses in Munich and Paris to pursue a career down this path and even attended classes at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.

3. Between the years of 1935 and 1937, he co-published a magazine titled “Trito Mati” (“Third Eye”) alongside his good friend and fellow architect Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Gkikas.

4. Some of his greatest works, including the reshaping of the area outside the Acropolis leading to the Filopappou Hill, were the creation of an elementary school at the Pefkakia area of Lykavittos, a playground in Filothei, heavily influenced by Japanese architecture and the study on the Fortetza Stronghold in Rethymno.

Aghios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris: south-facing side. A sketch by D. Pikionis. Photo: Dimitris Pikionis Archive – Benaki Museum Neohellenic Architecture Archives.

5. Ware Professor of Architecture at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University, New York, Kenneth Frampton used these words to describe the work of Pikionis in his anthology of the Greek artist’s creations:

“Somewhere in the sweep of this breaking wave came a point that lay beyond history, wherein the architect arrived at a dematerialized mode of expression that was at once Greek and anti-Greek; Greek in the sense that it was of the place, integrated into the mythos, the landscape, the climate and the way of life; anti-Greek in that much of its inspiration lay elsewhere, remote in space and time, in other far-flung islands, in Honshu and in the archaic pre-Hellenic Aegean under a timeless sun.”

Sources: Greece-is.com and Wikipedia

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